of area residents, businesses, nonprofits
and others in the development of this new
hub of sustainability, job growth and equitable opportunity. Among its many varied
facets and objectives, the EcoInnovation

District aims to “pursue solutions for water,
building systems and district energy that
will enable Uptown/West Oakland to reach
the highest levels of environmental performance and efficiency.” (Learn more about
Pittsburgh’s EcoInnovation District at
www.ecoinnovationdistrict.org.)

Another example of Duqesne’s community engagement in sustainability is
its participation in the Pittsburgh 2030

District. Launched in the city in 2012 by
the Green Building Alliance, the district
consists of property owners, managers
and developers who are targeting 50 percent reductions in building energy and
water use and transportation emissions
by 2030. In 2015, Duquesne and UPMC
Mercy Hospital were the first Uptown
entities to join the project. (There are currently 22 different 2030 Districts in cities
across the U.S., totaling more than 463
million sq ft of building space.)

AT THE FOREFRONT

The EcoInnovation and Pittsburgh

2030 initiatives are just two of many
efforts across the city supporting the
emergence of Pittsburgh as one of the
country’s most livable cities – and as a
frontrunner in sustainable development.

While there is work to be done, in further
lowering greenhouse gas emissions for
example, the city’s progress continues.

(Pittsburgh has a goal of 100 percent
renewable energy use by 2035.)

Over on the Uptown bluff, Duquesne
University continues doing its part. With its
award-winning CHP installation, the first
and only of its kind in the region, the institution has much “green expertise” to share.

The Energy Center remains ready to provide reliable, sustainably produced heating,
cooling and electricity as the Duquesne
campus grows – honoring the university’s
mission to preserve the environment and
its sense of responsibility to the future.

Author’s note: District Energy wishes to
thank Mark Johnson, director, Energy & Utilities, and his colleagues at Duquesne University for their contributions to this article.

the new Des Places Living Learning Center, state-of-the-art Power Center gym
and Genesius Theater – the ‘60s-vintage
boilers had reached their limits; and N+ 1
status could no longer be maintained.
But the $11.5 million upgrade nearly
tripled steam capacity, replacing the
three original boilers with three more efficient, ultralow-NOx auxiliary units (one
of them dual-fuel), cutting natural gas
consumption and emissions. Duquesne
was awarded a $2 million grant for the
steam project from Pennsylvania’s Alternative and Clean Energy Program – the
largest state grant ever received by the
university.

DUQUESNE WAS AWARDED A $2 MILLION
STATE GRANT FOR THE STEAM PROJECT –
THE LARGEST STATE GRANT EVER RECEIVED
BY THE UNIVERSITY.

Keeping the thermal and electrical
energy flowing reliably to campus buildings is a top Energy Center priority. To
ensure uninterrupted service, the plant is
equipped with numerous redundant and
risk-mitigating features: · two utility feeds to the continuous
power generator · two gas-line feeds from different
sources with crossover capability · two city water makeup feeds, plus

6,000 gal of on-site water storage · a deaerator/feedwater system provid-ing crossover and bypass capabilities · one dual-fuel boiler, capable of utiliz-ing fuel oil if natural gas is lost · a dual steam header system capable offeeding campus · the ability to utilize a portable genera-tor to power up one auxiliary boiler foremergency steam · water softener capacity for 100 per-cent of makeup water · an additional chiller pad for chillerexpansion · the ability to add a fifth cell to thecooling tower, which would then havethe capacity to handle 12,000 tons ofcooling · operation of both electric/absorptionchillers and ice storage, to providecooling redundancy when neededIn 2019, plans call for installationof chiller No. 7. Currently in the designstage, this 2,000-ton electric centrifugalunit will replace the original three steamabsorption chillers still in operation at theEnergy Center.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

With its roots in Uptown going back
over a century, Duquesne University has a
long legacy of working with its neighbors
to enhance the community and lives of its
residents. Given the university’s forward
thinking on the environment – including
its installation of clean-powered CHP –
getting involved in local sustainability
efforts is a natural fit. Duquesne’s participation in the EcoInnovation District initiative is just one such project.

As Uptown task force leader for the
district, Duquesne represents the interests

Des Places Living Learning Center is a
12-story, LEED Gold residence hall at
Duquesne University, opened in 2012.
Energy-saving features include infrared/
occupancy-controlled thermostats in all
student rooms; occupancy-controlled light
fixtures in all of the rooms, corridors and
stairwells; energy recovery unit equipped
with an enthalpy wheel to precondition
the 100 percent makeup air to the building; photosensitive window shades; white
reflective roof (to retard heat buildup);
rooftop electricity-generating solar cells;
and high-efficiency washer/dryers.